Love's Got Melody
by Miktap
Summary: A series of shortish songfics based off of various songs that give me Mergana feels. Directed entirely by my writing muse and the flow of my current playlist.
1. Chapter 1

_This is going to be a series of one shots, based off of songs that make me think of the most beautiful pairing, Mergana. Before reading, I'd recommend listening to the song first so you have context for the story, but it's up to you. This first one's based on Mariana's Trench "One Love"._

 _Enjoy!_

 **One Love**

The castle feels empty tonight.

Hell, all of Camelot has been feeling empty since she disappeared.

Merlin pauses in the midst of his chores and gazes longingly out the window. For the past month, Arthur has been on many a mission commanded by Uther to find Morgana. All have proved to be fruitless. All because of him.

He has absolutely no idea where Morgana is, or what Morgause is doing to her now. The only thing that eases his conscience _somewhat_ is that he had given the priestess the vial of poison, giving her the crucial knowledge required to save Morgana's life. Not that it's any excuse. If she ever comes home, she'll probably hate him.

And he can't blame her for that. He'd hate himself, too, for what he did to her. Actually, he truly does, every waking moment of every day. Possibly, what hurts the most is that he never told her how he felt. She'd never know of the feelings he had held towards her, his love that had quickly grown for her over the few short years they'd known each other.

When he met Freya, he'd thought that he had finally found someone he could be with. Someone like him who was not out of reach, unattainable to a person of his standing. He was ready to give up his life in Camelot to take her away from her captors and her prison. It had nearly crushed him when she died, killed unknowingly by his own best friend.

Though he still misses her dearly, it didn't take long for his heart to wander back to its original course of a certain green-eyed beauty. Too late, he's realized that all this time she has been his one love. Ever since he first laid eyes on her on the day of his arrival, ever since his respect for her grew tenfold with the incident with the druid boy, and the time when she, practically a princess, dropped everything to help _him,_ a servant, save his humble village from bandits. All the unspoken words between them, everything he had tried to convey with meaningful glances, all undone by one act of carelessness.

His feet seem to have a mind of their own, as he snaps back to reality and realizes he is outside Morgana's chambers. Or what used to be her chambers. Having to think of her life here as something in the past tense breaks his heart.

The door is slightly ajar, and Merlin quietly slips inside. The scent of her perfume, though fading fast, still lingers on the sheets of her bed, the drapes covering her windows, the vanity where she would sit and comb her hair.

Gods, he misses her.

In his moment of nostalgia, he thinks he sees a glimmer of a figure sitting on her bed. His heart leaps and he turns to welcome her home and apologize for everything he's done, to confess his feelings and promise to never leave her on her own again.

But she disappears. It was just a cold trick of the light, a silhouette sent to torment him.

He sinks to his knees, a question playing over and over in his mind.

 _What if the one true love's the only one that you get?_

* * *

"What's the matter?"

He hums quietly in response. "Nothing."

Merlin has the conflicting sense that everything is right, yet everything is wrong, and doesn't know why. The woman who he's loved for well over a thousand years is sitting upright in his bed, gazing at him in a bleary confusion as he stares hard out the window of his flat. What could possibly be wrong with that?

"Just come back to bed," she calls softly.

Something is strange about her voice, but Merlin shrugs it off, turning towards her with a gentle smile and returning to sit next to her on his bed. He takes her hands in his, and their gazes lock.

Her green eyes are sad, full of pity. He's taken aback, not understanding exactly why she's looking at him like this.

"Morgana?"

The pity changes to ice, the look she would shoot at him when he would interfere with her plans or have what she considered more knowledge of something than he should.

"You failed me, Merlin." Her voice is dripping with anger.

"I- I'm so sorry! Please, I didn't mean to-"

"But you did." She shrugs, and he can feel her slipping out of his grasp. He tightens his hold on her, but she is fading quickly.

"Morgana! Please, don't leave," he begs her, but those green eyes just hold steady on his face. Before he knows it, she's disappeared once more, leaving him alone and feeling broken.

Merlin awakes in a cold sweat, sitting bolt upright. For a moment he thinks he's going to be sick as he searches for her. The other side of the bed is cold, though.

It wasn't real. He'd thought she might be here, but as it turns out it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Again.

His clock reads 5:30 am. Early, but knowing well that he isn't going to get back to sleep after that, he pads over to the sink and splashes water on his face. He gazes at his dripping visage in the mirror. It's paper white, as if he's just seen a ghost. Which, in all honesty, he pretty much has. Everything that resulted from her poisoning, especially the look on her face when he ran her through with Excalibur, still haunts him to this day.

His mind seems particularly determined to remind him of it.

Sighing, Merlin drags his fingers through his hair. It's been getting worse over the past few months. He keeps having these dreams, or thinking that he sees her somewhere as he's walking. He's pretty sure a young woman nearly called the cops on him two weeks ago, when he saw a flash of raven hair and green eyes that looked so much like hers, and he ran over to her calling her name. The poor woman had been terrified, thinking that some raving lunatic was after her. Of course, he apologized profusely. Once he got close, it was plain to see that this was most definitely not his Morgana, anyhow. She had given him a skeptical glance but had accepted it, mobile still in hand ready to ring for the police.

That one had definitely earned him a few stares as he stalked away, face burning.

Over the years, there have been times when he'd feel better every day, like the brokenness inside was finally leaving him. And every time he foolishly felt comfortable with the thought, something would happen once more, and he would be left, shattered.

And all this time, that question has been plaguing him.

 _What if the one true love's the only one that you get?_

* * *

Maybe he should leave. He's found that being in one place for too long can make his visions of her worse.

He contemplates this bitterly over coffee, frowning at the easygoing passerby around him. Their lives are so simple, not having had to deal with betrayal and loneliness and a crushing guilt for over a _millennia_. Why couldn't he have been as lucky as his friends, who found solace eventually in death, instead of having to sit here waiting for the chance to make amends for the wrongs he had committed during another lifetime?

It hits him as he takes another sip of the steaming liquid that, in some perverse and twisted way, he actually pines for the visions of Morgana when they leave him be. It's the only time he gets to see her face, even though they leave him an emotional wreck.

Smirking at the fact that he's probably going mad, he casually makes the comparison that she is like some kind of phantom limb from his past life, his past love. She was lost and gone from him so fast, and yet he still falls for it every time he thinks he sees her. He needs to stop looking, listening, pining for her, but he knows he won't. It's something he'll have to live with.

Merlin continues to gaze around at the hustle and bustle in the little coffee shop when he almost chokes on his beverage. There she is, sitting in a plush chair, face partially hidden behind a newspaper. That maddening hope that it truly could be her flares up again, but this time he shoves it down relentlessly.

 _"No. It is NOT her. Get a grip, Merlin,"_ he furiously thinks to himself. This encounter subconsciously helps him make the choice that he has to leave, make another fresh start for himself. He'll start looking for a new place tonight. For now, though, he has to go for a walk and clear his mind.

The niggling thought that it _just might_ be her makes him feel magnetized to the woman, his heart trying to drag his feet towards her. But thankfully logic wins out, and after standing there stunned for several minutes (to the dismay of some of the other customers trying to maneuver around him), he forces himself out the door. Merlin crumples the paper cup with his hand in frustration, before throwing it angrily into a nearby waste bin.

 _What if the one true love's the only one that you get?_ Gods, he's going to be plagued by this for the rest of his life. He knows the answer - no one could ever take that place that she holds in his heart.

In his haste to get away, he doesn't see the young woman's green eyes flick up to him and twinkle with recognition.

* * *

Merlin can't sleep, no matter how hard he tries. Thoughts of Morgana and leaving and newspapers keep whirling through his mind. And that makes him grumpy. He may be immortal, but he still needs his sleep!

The knock that comes on the door to his flat is the last straw. It's _two o'clock_ in the _morning_.

"Who the hell is at my door at this time of night?" he grumbles as he drags himself out of bed. Not that he was actually sleeping, but for arguments' sake he technically _could_ have been.

The knocking comes again as he trudges to the door. Irritated by whoever's impatience, he flings the door open and all but growls, "You'd better have a damn good reason for coming to my flat at this time of night. Who the hell do you-" He abruptly stops speaking when he takes into account the familiar face standing in front of him.

Morgana crooks an eyebrow at him. "Hello, Merlin. Nice to see you, too."

His mouth is hanging open; in hindsight, that was probably rather rude. But she's been plaguing his mind for years, only to dissipate into thin air as a hallucination when he thinks she's finally there. So it's hard for him to come up with anything rational to say.

Except for, "You're not real." For his sanity's sake, he has to believe it.

He closes the door, locking it behind him. There is absolutely no way this is really Morgana. Diving back under his duvet, he grabs his pillow and pulls it over his head, hoping that the more layers he has on top of him the better he will be able to block out thoughts and visions of _her_.

Apparently, he does manage to fall asleep at some point, because the next time he opens his eyes his pillow is on the ground and the moon has shifted position. He rolls over to retrieve it and freezes as he notices a figure casually sitting on his dresser, gazing out of his window as the minutes tick by. Moonlight glints off of her long, dark waves, and green eyes sparkle as she watches over the quiet city life.

"You're awake," she says softly, not a question, without tearing her gaze away from the calm scene before her.

"You're a hallucination," he croaks. "Every time, you've been..."

Her lips curve up ever so slightly in a smirk. "Would a hallucination have helped herself to the wine in your kitchen?"

"What?"

Shrugging, she replies, "You were asleep for awhile, and pretty determined to ignore me. I let myself in and thought I may as well do something other than just sit here and listen to you snore."

"How did you-"

"How do you think?"

Finally, she meets his gaze. For the briefest moment her eyes glow gold and he hears the name "Emrys" whispered softly in his mind, a gentle breath of fresh air.

Merlin can hardly think straight, let alone speak. So he sits silently under her scrutiny until he can talk to her without his voice betraying him and cracking with the heavy weight of his emotions. "You're... You're real?"

She doesn't answer him with words, rather she swiftly closes the gap between them and gently presses her lips to his. It's a chaste kiss, but the feel of her skin against his is exhilarating, There's a spark there that none of his false 'Morgana's have possessed. Merlin groans and leans deeper into it, she entwines their fingers together and presses their hands up against his chest.

This feels right. This feels _real_.

She eventually pulls away. "Well?"

The stunned look on his face is answer enough, and as the realization hits him that this is truly her, she's finally back, he breaks down. She holds him tight as the years of loneliness and sorrow come crashing over him, stroking his hair like his mother used to when he was little. His arms are wrapped around her waist, holding on for dear life. Now that she's back he's never letting go. He let go too easily in the past, and he won't make those same mistakes again.

Later, when he's calm and they are lying peacefully side by side, he looks at her and asks her, why now?

"I've been thinking a lot. About us," she begins. "We've committed so many wrongs against each other in the past but... what if there's still a way of taking care of this? What if there's a way for us to finally heal?"

"I'd want nothing more."

"And I feel the same." She gives him an earnest look full of the feelings that they've never been able to express.

"I was thinking of moving away from here," he mumbles absentmindedly.

She captures his lips with hers once more, this time allowing the kiss to deepen to the point where it will soon escalate to something more before breaking it off. "Well, now you have a reason not to go."

Her eyes sparkle, and he grins like a fool in return. He would never have imagined that he'd wake up tonight and she'd be real... there's still hope for them. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispers, "There's no stopping us yet."

When he awakes the next morning to the sight of her beside him, he gently squeezes her hand. She doesn't disappear, doesn't fade away as has happened in the past. She simply snuggles closer into his side, a contented smile of bliss on her face.

The one true love's the only one that you get.

And they couldn't be happier.

* * *

 _Funny story, I'd never really listened to this song before yesterday. But I heard it on the radio and the lyrics wouldn't stop eating away at my soul that this would be the perfect song to start off this series of songfics with. So here you have it :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the positive feedback so far, everyone! The second chapter is based on Walk The Moon's "Shut Up and Dance"._

 _Arrionical - Thanks for the lovely review. It made me so happy to hear that the first chapter helped lift your spirits. I hope all has worked out for you since then and that you enjoy the update!_

 _Garrek - I'm sorry for almost making you cry, though I guess that means I fulfilled my duty as a fanfic writer ;) Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this next one!_

 _Meri Ley - Exactly how I feel! There will never be an end to second chances with these two._

 _Nimbus Night 2405 - Lol I'm glad you read it regardless of the title (I'm not the greatest at coming up with them late at night). I hope the next chapter meets expectations._

 **Shut Up and Dance**

Merlin sat at the bar, nursing his drink. The music blared in the background while people danced, all their bodies blurring together into a chaotic mass. He shuddered at the thought of getting caught up on the dance floor. At least _they_ were having fun. Dancing in the midst of a large crowd had never been his thing.

He sighed dejectedly and took another swig of his beer. Well, maybe dancing could have been fun if he'd had someone here to do it with. But his girlfriend had broken up with him a week ago, so here he was, alone. Sure, Merlin had been in various other relationships before, but there had been something special about Freya. He'd truly cared for her and thought they could have had something together, though, apparently, she hadn't felt the same way. That was what really hurt.

Merlin had debated about calling his friends tonight, asking them to tag along, but he'd thought better of it. He didn't want to put his troubles on their shoulders. All he needed was a few drinks and he'd be right as rain once more.

The bartender sliding a small glass of whiskey in front of him snapped him from his brooding thoughts. The man nodded at him and said, "Here you go, one Irish whiskey for you."

"Thanks, but I didn't order this."

The bartender chuckled. "No, but she did." He gestured to a woman sitting several bar stools away from him before walking away. She had long, dark hair that contrasted her pale skin, making her look like a porcelain angel.

Several seconds passed and Merlin found himself staring, unable to tear his gaze away from her. She swiveled in her seat, catching his gaze and holding it. Her eyes were the brightest shade of green he'd ever seen, add that to the list of reasons for him being unable to look away. Her lips curved up in a small smile and she winked at him before returning to her conversation with the person next to her.

 _She_ had winked at _him_.

He finally snapped back to his senses and realized how creepy it probably seemed that he hadn't stopped staring at her yet. He felt his face heat as he overanalyzed it, so he took a sip of his whiskey to try and act nonchalant. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this. He'd bought drinks for women before, why couldn't it go the other way around? That being said, he'd never had it happen to him, and definitely not so soon after a break up.

The whiskey was good. Whoever she was, she had good taste in liquor. Eventually, his surprise wound down and he returned to thinking about his recently failed relationship. He didn't realize he was frowning until a soft voice startled him.

"Is this seat taken?"

The frown fell off of his face and all thoughts of Freya disappeared from his mind when he saw who it was. It was the woman from earlier, the one who had bought him the drink and the one that he had secretly compared to an angel, looking at him expectantly with a radiant smile on her face.

He cleared his throat. "No, it's all yours." As she slid into the seat next to him, he smiled back at her. "Thanks for the whiskey. It's good, you have a good taste for it."

She laughed gently, and his heart did a ridiculous flip-flop in his chest at the sound. "Well, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it." Extending her hand, she added, "I'm Morgana, by the way. Morgana le Faye. Nice to meet you."

"Merlin Emrys. Pleasure's all mine."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bar top. "So, Merlin. What's a handsome fellow like yourself doing at a bar on your own tonight, hmm?"

Anyone else asking him this question would have caused all the hurt he was feeling to resurface, but Morgana intrigued him. Shouldn't he be the one asking her what a pretty lady was doing at the bar on her own? She was already so different from any woman he'd met and he couldn't help but feel drawn towards her.

"Ah, you know. The guys were busy tonight and I wanted to come down for a couple drinks. So here I am." It was a lie, of course, but he didn't need to sound like a desperate sod by pouring out all his woes to this person he'd just met.

She cocked her head at him, examining his face closely. "You're holding something back, I can see it in your eyes."

"Um, what-"

"That's alright. You don't have to tell me what it is, but I think I know something that will make you feel better."

She took his arm, and before he knew it she had pulled him towards the dance floor. He had no idea how it happened, or how they seemed to have gotten there so fast.

Merlin started stammering, he had a tendency to do that when he got nervous. And a gorgeous woman pulling him so suddenly over to dance with her certainly made him nervous. "Morgana, I- I 'm not really much of a dancer. I, I mean..."

She smiled at him. "Merlin," she interrupted. "Shut up and dance with me."

"Um, er..." he managed to get out as she took his hands and gently led him towards the crowd. He muttered gibberish about having to get something that he had left at his seat, and glanced over his shoulder towards it to emphasize his point.

"Uh uh, don't you dare look back," she chided gleefully. "Just keep your eyes on me."

So he did. He looked into her green eyes and allowed her to lead him where she wanted. Once they had found a satisfactory location, she moved his right hand to her hip and placed her left on his shoulder. They began swaying slightly to the music; Merlin made the distant connection that this kind of dancing really wasn't the kind that one normally sees at the bar, but Morgana looked so lovely and happy and he was actually feeling surprisingly good about this now that they were on the dance floor that he just went along with it. It _was_ kind of nice.

They lost track of time as they danced, helpless victims of the music and the fading lights, and neither of them minded in the least.

* * *

Merlin and Morgana decided to take a walk along the river after leaving their favourite restaurant. It was a family owned Italian place, and the food was always incredible. They were both stuffed, and Morgana laughed when he said she'd have to roll him home as he threaded his fingers through hers.

It was particularly quiet out tonight, which was a surprise considering how lovely the weather was. It was the end of summer, so the air was cool but hadn't yet developed that trademark bite of the autumn wind. The sky was clear of clouds, giving them a wonderful view of the full moon and the stars, and the streetlamps glittered on the black, glassy surface of the water. The couple walked on in silence, each simply enjoying being in the presence of the other.

Merlin's mind wandered back to that fateful night two and a half years ago. Then, he had guessed Morgana was a somewhat eccentric young woman who had simply decided to dance with him for fun, not because she had felt some kind of inexplicable pull towards him (which she later explained as being the result of dreams in which she'd glimpsed the face of someone who looked just like him). Now, he _knew_ her to be somewhat eccentric and he loved her for it, and he knew there was something much deeper that ran between them than just pure physical attraction. He'd come to realize over time that this woman was his destiny.

So much had happened since then. Sure, they'd had their fair share of ups and downs in their relationship, but they always managed to get through them. They'd gone on many a trip around Europe; as it turned out, Morgana loved history and ancient castles and coliseums as much as he did. Now that they'd been backpacking around most of the continent, they decided that next year they would expand their horizons, maybe travel to Asia or Australia. One day they would make it all around the world, they vowed.

Lost deep in thought, Merlin didn't hear Morgana's question until she was almost done speaking.

"Sorry Morgana, what was that?"

"I said you're awfully quiet right now. You have that look on your face again. What are you thinking about?"

He smiled and gazed down at her. She looked adorable in her beige trench coat and burgundy beanie (he'd learned a lot more terms for fashion and different colours than he had ever known existed after starting to date her), and she had that curious look on her face that he just couldn't resist. So he leaned towards her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm just thinking about what a lucky man I am to have you in my life."

She grinned and snuggled up against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "And I'm a lucky woman to have you, Merlin."

They stood there like that for some time, watching the lights reflect off the river's surface, and Morgana released a small groan when he finally moved away from her side to face her.

Merlin took her hands in his, tracing circles on her soft skin with his thumbs. She smiled up at him, and his heart melted. He could feel it in his chest as she looked at him, they were bound to be together. He just knew it, he could see the future deep in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Merlin began a carefully prepared speech that he had been practicing for several months now. "Morgana, meeting you changed my life. We've had so many amazing adventures together, and I feel blessed to have experienced them with you. I can't even begin to imagine where we'll go next, but I know I can't wait and that whatever we come across will be incredible as long as we are together. So, I want to ask you..."

Morgana's green eyes widened as Merlin dropped down on one knee in front of her, and pulled a ring from his jacket pocket. Holding it up to her, he asked, " Morgana, will you make me the happiest man in the world by marrying me?"

Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. There was a happy smile on her face, but Merlin would always claim that those few milliseconds before she replied were the longest of his lifetime.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, of course I'll marry you, Merlin. I love you." She held out her left hand for him to place the ring on it, then pulled him to his feet. "I love you so much." He leaned down to kiss her on the lips this time, and they didn't break apart until they were forced to for air.

Looking down at her hand, Morgana turned it so that her ring caught the light. "It's beautiful, Merlin."

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. He'd been so nervous about tonight, even though he knew how they felt about each other, but everything had gone off without a hitch. Regardless, he started rambling as the adrenaline began to flow out of his veins. "I'm so glad you like it. I was worried it wouldn't be the right size, but it looks like it fits pretty well. How does it fe-?"

She cut him off with a kiss. When they pulled away from each other, she looked at him with an expression of mock sternness on her face. "Merlin." One more quick kiss. "Shut up and dance with me."

So he did.

* * *

 _Initially, I had planned for the ending to be bittersweet, but I was feeling kind of sad after watching this short animated film (it's called "The Rendezvous Storyboard Animatic" by Maksn, it's beautiful and brilliant and very emotional, to say the least). So I decided that happy endings and fluff it shall be! Which actually worked out well, because I like how this turned out more than my original idea!_

 _But who knows, I may come back to this and add some bittersweetness in a second part later. We'll see. For now, I like it how it is (and I hope you do, too!) :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi guys! Chapter three is based off of Rihanna's "Only Girl", and actually the character, Amy, in this is based on one of the more obscure villains in Merlin. Bonus cookies to you if you can guess who it is!_

 _mersan123 - That's what I think, too, and we need more of them! Glad to hear you liked it :)_

 _Arrionical - Haha I've kinda hit that point too, always listening to the radio and being like,"Oh hey, this song could work. So could this one!" And I find that after watching that movie I can't picture a modern Morgana in anything but, really! But who am I kidding, I love all of the cast in anything they're in and I think all of that comes back in some way to how I interpret their modern counterparts._

 _Nimbus Night 2405 - Thank you, that's very sweet of you to say! At the end I was picturing them dancing alongside the river perhaps to a song in their heads, I just thought it would be cute that way even if a bit random. I'm kind of a hopeless romantic when it comes to engagement scenes (or Mergana in general)!_

 **Only Girl**

The drive home from Morgana's work was long and slow and painful. Long and slow because of rush hour, painful because the extra time sitting in her car gave her more time to brood over what her co-worker, Amy, was on a tangent about today. The woman was quite possibly the most devious _snake_ of a person she'd ever met in her life.

She also happened to be Merlin's ex.

Which meant she almost _always_ had a scathing remark ready for Morgana, Merlin's current girlfriend, who had the pleasure of being locked in an office with her, 8 hours a day. All. Week. Long.

Today, she was going on about how some men could never find a partner to settle down with, and how for some of them, it was incredible if they could stay with someone for over a year. The two of them were in the break room, Morgana getting her umpteenth cup of coffee of the day and Amy snooping through the fridge for something to eat. More like snooping to make sure no one was around to hear her torment Morgana.

"Funny how that works, hey, Morgana?" Amy baited her, but the other woman refused to bite. "Just like Merlin, for example. Could never keep a girlfriend for longer than 6 months or something like that? Poor dear."

Morgana gritted her teeth. _Say nothing, don't accept her invitation to fight._ The reason Merlin hadn't been with any woman long term was because of traumatic memories from his own parents splitting up. He couldn't bring himself to trust them once things started getting serious, and besides, they just hadn't been right for each other, he'd said. Morgana was the first girlfriend he'd discussed this with, and he'd clearly become more relaxed in their relationship after opening up to her. She appreciated his honesty, and he appreciated that she cared enough to listen and help him work through his mistrust and to take things slowly.

"Well, except for me, of course." Flipping her chestnut hair over her shoulder, Amy turned to sneer at Morgana. "That was a fun year. We went on so many trips, and he really started stepping out of his shell. It was good for him, you know? Too bad he didn't realize just how good. How long have you two been together now, Morgana?"

Setting down her coffee cup so she wouldn't be tempted to throw the scalding liquid onto the insufferable woman behind her, Morgana answered her question with a stony silence as she reached for the cream.

Apparently that didn't deter Amy, because she continued. "Seven months? Soon to be old news then, hmmm. Don't worry dear, I'm sure it won't take me that long to help him get over you once we're back together. I was the best thing that ever happened to him, after all."

That was it. Morgana spun around, coffee forgotten. Marching up to the petite woman, she dropped her voice to a menacingly low tone. "I can see perfectly clear what you're insinuating, Amy. And it's never going to happen, especially if you continue acting like a jealous little bi-"

"Afternoon, ladies." Of course their manager chose that moment to walk in. The two women hastily stepped away from each other, while the third looked at them curiously. "Everything all right in here?"

Amy opened her mouth, probably to make another 'inside joke', as she liked to call them. Morgana cut her off. "Actually, Nina, I've been feeling sick for most of the day. Would you mind if I take off early?"

Her boss smiled kindly. "No problem. I hope you can get rested up over the weekend so you're ready to get started on your new project next week."

"Well, if she's not, I can always step in for her. Right, Morgana?" Oh, and not to mention that Amy had been trying to undermine her at her job for months now.

Morgana barely managed to force her lips into a tight semblance of a smile and croak out a civil goodbye. She couldn't wait to get out before the scene got ugly. There would have been blood otherwise. And it wouldn't have been hers.

So that's how she wound up fuming in her car on the way home. Merlin would never leave her for such a conniving, controlling, scheming bitch.

But it had been seven months...

No! She couldn't let Amy get to her. Merlin would never do that. Everything was going so well, and she had faith in him. She trusted him.

But, unfortunately, not herself. A niggling certainty that she would mess things up somehow lived in the back of her mind.

This was all rolling around in her head as she pulled into the driveway. And the one thought above all others was to prove Amy wrong. But in order to do that, she desperately needed Merlin to confirm what they were together. She needed his confirmation that she was the only one that knew his heart, and the only one that he'd ever love. Not that he'd said those three words yet, but still.

Pitiful? Perhaps, for a confident, independent woman like herself. But it would be just this once. She turned the door handle and shoved it open, ready as she'd ever be to get her answers.

* * *

Morgana stormed into the house to find Merlin chopping carrots in the kitchen, and he turned to greet her, his sweet, lopsided grin that he saved especially for her plastered on his face. But Morgana surprised him when she marched up to him, grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, and roughly pulled him down towards her so that their lips crashed together. Letting out a startled _oomf_ , he returned her kiss and allowed her to take control. And that she did. Deepening the kiss, Morgana nipped at his lower lip and, at the slightest opening on his part, thrust her tongue into his mouth. They carried on for as long as they could, with her in the lead, until they had to come up for air.

Breathing heavily, Merlin locked eyes with her. He saw the thunderous look on her face when she walked in, and could read in her face that there was something troubling her greatly. Concerned, he gently placed his hands on either side of her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Morgana?"

"Mmm-hmm?" came her distracted reply, with her gaze already roving hungrily back over his lips.

"Care to tell me what's bothering you?"

She didn't reply, rather pulled him back to her for another kiss. "What's there to discuss?" she purred, nipping once more at his lips and working downward - she purposefully bit his neck in several places to leave marks, branding him as hers. Possessive, yes, but she needed that confirmation that he was hers, hers and no one else's.

Merlin let out a moan at her affections. But as much as he was liking her train of thought, he _knew_ something was wrong and had to get to the bottom of this before they continued. So he gently took her hands in his, and stepped back ever so slightly so that she no longer had access to his neck, because heaven knows he wouldn't be able to hold a coherent conversation as long as that was going on.

 _"Morgana._ "

Frustration flickered across her face, and she replied in an irritated voice. "What?"

"I know something's wrong. Let's slow down for just a minute and-"

"You're right," she interrupted. Pulling on his hands, she began tugging him in the direction of the bedroom. "It's not going to be as comfortable out here as it will be in your bed. Come on."

He was shocked for the first few moments, but about halfway down the hall he realized he was giving in to her without having resolved anything. Merlin's determination to get to the bottom of things kicked in, and he planted his feet to make any of her attempts at dragging him further futile. "Morgana, no."

She bounced backwards slightly when she hit the end of his arm and the rest of him didn't move. Turning back to face him with a pout, she asked, "And why not?"

"You haven't told me what's bothering you. Please, talk to me about it. I don't want you to have to carry it around like this."

Morgana smiled at him. "Merlin, you are the sweetest man I've ever met, I swear it. But everything is _fine_. Or at least it all will be, after this." She bit her lower lip and glanced up at him through her lashes, trying to entice him to continue on with her.

Rather disappointingly, however, he removed his hand from hers and crossed his arms instead of following her to his bed. "No. Angry sex may be something that works for you, Morgana, but not for me."

Realization of what she'd just done dawned on her as the red fury fades from her vision. It took Merlin to make her see sense... and what had she just done, after everything that they'd worked at, taking things slow? Oh God, she just screwed up big time. And wasn't this what she'd been worrying about in the first place?

She could feel heat rushing to her cheeks as she hurried to apologize. "Merlin, I- I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking about how that would make you feel, and... Oh God, I fucked up. I'm so sorry. I know how much you hate that, I was only thinking of me, oh God, I'm so sorry..."

"Morgana..."

"No, Merlin. That wasn't okay for me to do. I know better, especially after everything you've told me. You probably don't want to see me anymore, after that. I'll be going, then, I'm so sorry."

"Wait, what? Morgana."

"Just... give me a call later, if you want. But only if you want. I didn't mean to pressure you into anything tonight." She pushed past him to snag her keys from the kitchen counter, but he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him.

"Morgana! Give me a chance to get more than half a word out, would you?" She stared shamefully at the ground, trying to hide the sheen of tears that glistened on her eyes. "We are not breaking up because of what just happened. It's fine, honestly. Don't go."

"But, but you didn't want to take things fast, and I just wrecked that."

A gentle grin settled on his face. "Just because I have trust issues doesn't mean I'm going to love you any less over something as small as that. I'm a big boy, I can handle it."

Only three words in that sentence reached her ears. "You... love me?"

Merlin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to plant a kiss on top of her head. "Yeah, I do. I've never been with any woman who cares so much about my wellbeing. I've never been with a woman who makes me feel anything near what you do."

There was her confirmation. "I love you, too." She looked up at him, and he smiled. "You're such a great guy, Merlin."

"And you're an incredible woman. Now," he gently led her over to the couch, and they both sat. "What is on your mind that is upsetting you so much?"

She blushed, feeling silly for her reaction when he'd just made it more than clear he didn't plan on leaving any time soon. "It was just something that happened at work. Nothing important, really. It actually seems kind of stupid, now."

Merlin's face immediately darkened. "It was Amy, wasn't it? She said something to you again."

"Yes, ridiculous things like that you would leave me because we've been together nearly seven months now, and that you'd go back to her. Normally I can handle it, but today it made me feel incredibly insecure, and I needed to get confirmation from you that we're still good. I guess," she swallowed, feeling oddly hysterical after this emotional rollercoaster, "I needed you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world for you, if that makes any sense whatsoever."

The anger instantly fell off of his face, and was replaced with his gentle smile once more. "It makes absolute sense. And don't _ever_ let anything that Amy tells you make you think anything different, alright? That part of my life is over, and if she can't get over it that's her problem, not yours. I'm quite happy with how things are between us two, now."

Morgana snuggled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Merlin."

They sat in companionable silence for a while, his thumb running back and forth over her hand. Then Merlin leaned over and whispered in her ear, "And just to let you know, I'm not entirely opposed to what you were suggesting earlier. I may be convinced later..."

She sat bolt upright at his words and laughed. "Oh, aren't we suddenly mischievous?"

Merlin shrugged. "What can I say? But if you don't want to..."

"What? Oh, no. No no. Of course I do. In fact," she scooched closer to him once more, "we could go do it right now, if you want."

It was his turn to chuckle. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. And there is no way I'm going to want to stop and cook supper after that. Let's eat first, then I'm all yours."

Morgana faked a pout, but couldn't hold it for long. "Fine, I suppose. But just know that you won't be leaving once we get started, you'll be my prisoner for the night."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, my lady. Now, let's go finish up supper so we can get to... dessert quicker."

She laughed again in delight as she followed him into the kitchen. And suddenly everything was right in the world again.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry to have been MIA on this fic for a while, school and work have just been making me exhausted and my main priority recently has been updating my other story, An Exchange of Souls. Anyhoo, this chapter is based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Music of the Night"._

 **Music of the Night**

A scuffle at the doorway alerted the queen to the arrival of her prisoner. Turning away from the dark window overlooking the city, her gaze fell upon the young man being held by two of her soldiers. He was the one responsible for the racket, it would seem, seeing how he struggled futilely against their hold. One manservant was no match for her soldiers, and he would certainly be no match for her.

She smiled.

* * *

"Bind him to the chair." The soldiers, carrying out her orders, roughly shoved the young man into a nearby chair and secured his hands to the wooden back. Once he was tied, she instructed the guards to leave them. "Wait outside the door. I'll inform you when we are done." She lazily strode up to the man in question, allowing a venomous smirk to play across her lips as she stared down at him. "I've much to discuss with my _subject_."

With the barest of nods, the soldiers swiftly exited the room, closing and barring the door with a resounding _thud_. Refusing to acknowledge the angry glare directed at her by her prisoner, she turned and made her way back to the window, aimlessly staring over her city, taking in the stars and the darkness.

"Merlin, welcome," she began. "I trust my guards treated you well?"

"As much as you could expect from two of your cronies," he spat back at her.

She continued to gaze out the window, appreciating the incredible view and the fact that it was all hers, finally.

Several minutes of silence passed, until Merlin broke it. "Well, Morgana, did you bring me up here for any specific purpose or solely as a decoration for your quarters?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Everything I do has a purpose, Merlin. Surely you of all people should know that by now." Finally she turned to face him, the flickering candlelight in the dimly lit room giving both of them nearly unearthly appearances. "So let's cut straight to the chase, shall we? I know about your _talents_. You have magic, and you weren't planning on sharing that with me any time soon, were you?"

"Who told you that?" He was good; he nearly would have passed as nonchalant if it weren't for the subtle tightening of his jaw line. But just as he knew her, she knew him.

"Don't try to deny it. You're a sorcerer, and a powerful one at that. The real question is, why aren't you on my side?"

"I would _never_ follow the likes of you," he snarled. "You're a tyrant, no better than Uther! Arthur is the rightful heir to the throne, not you!"

"Shh, shh." She glided across the room to take his chin in her hand, forcing him to look up at her. "No need for such angry talk. _Unlike_ my birth father and brother, I'm willing to forgive all your transgressions. In fact, I've a proposition for you. You agree to work for me, at my side, and I will make you an advisor in my court. You will be well reimbursed, and want for naught again."

"No."

She sighed, running a slender finger over that cheekbone of his, sharp enough to cut glass. "I knew you would make this difficult for me. Close your eyes, Merlin."

"Why should I listen to anything you say?"

"Because I can hurt you in unimaginable ways," she purred, her smile a stark contrast to her threat. "Now, do as I say."

Warily, he closed his eyes. Morgana walked around his chair to stand behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I want you to think about the way that our people have been treated for the past twenty years. The hate, the oppression, being condemned as criminals simply for being different.

"Now, let your imagination run wild. Envision a Camelot where it is safe to practice magic, where sorcerers will be treated fairly, where children will grow up knowing they don't have to fear their gifts." The last was said with particular prominence, for they both knew of the terrors she had faced when her dreams began coming true.

"What's your deepest, darkest dream, Merlin, that Uther and Arthur would never accept for their hatred of magic? Along the lines of ending their rule and regaining freedom? We can make it a reality. We're already partially there. Think about how we could change the kingdom for the good of our people!"

Her voice had dropped to a whisper, but Merlin could feel each word piercing his soul. She wasn't entirely wrong; his dream was to one day restore magic to Camelot, but at Arthur's side. Not like this, this could only reinforce their fear and their hatred.

It was hard, though, hard to resist her voice. She was hypnotic, even, possessing some kind of beautifully dark quality behind every sound that rolled off her tongue. Beautifully dark like the night, melodic like music. He could feel his senses slipping, his magic itching for him to drop his defenses and help her build this dream world. But he could never betray everything he believed in like this.

Merlin allowed his eyes to snap open and meet hers, though he had to twist in his seat to achieve it. "This isn't the way to bring about the change we need, Morgana. You'll only harden their hearts towards magic. We can achieve this peacefully."

"Oh, Merlin," the queen sighed again, leaving her spot next to him to slowly pace the length of the room. "Any kind of peaceful negotiating would be met with being burned at the stake."

"Arthur is different, he'll understand someday..."

"Someday isn't soon enough, Merlin, and he could _never_ understand!" Morgana snapped, allowing some of her frustration to slip through her calm facade. She paused to recompose herself, breathing deeply and shutting her eyes momentarily.

Sidling up beside him once more, she began to untie his wrists. "Here, you must be terribly uncomfortable bound to this chair. We can't have a proper discussion without you having a bit of freedom."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you doing?"

Morgana let a quiet laugh slip from her throat. "Releasing you, obviously. No wonder Arthur calls you a dolt sometimes."

"Why?"

"You never cease with the questions, do you? Because I can, and because I know you're smart enough not to try anything."

Merlin immediately stood when she removed the last rope, rubbing his wrists where they had cut into his skin. Morgana strode across the room, velvet skirts swishing around her ankles, to a table on which a flask of wine and two goblets sat. She carefully filled the first, then the second, which she held out to Merlin in offering.

"Drink with me."

His fingers twitched as if he longed to reach for the goblet, but his rationality restrained him. "I'll not let you intoxicate me, Morgana, with your wine _or_ your words. I'll still never join you."

She rolled her eyes, an exceptionally un-queen-like behaviour. "Oh for God's sake, Merlin, I'm not like you." To prove her point, she lifted the second goblet to her lips and drank, peering at him over the brass rim. She handed it to him, daintily licking her upper lip. "See? it's perfectly safe."

Mainly because of her reference to the poisoning, he relented, taking the goblet from her hand. That didn't mean he would drink from it, however. Morgana didn't seem to particularly care what he did with it, anyhow, once he had accepted her offering. She merely beckoned for him to follow her to the window, which, to his annoyance, he realized he did without hesitation.

"This is _our_ Camelot too, Merlin. Not just theirs."

His eyes flicked from her face to the sleeping city as she spoke, then back.

"It will be a new world, and it may be strange at first, but allow yourself to go there in your mind. Won't it be so much better than what we currently face? Close your eyes again, leave behind all thoughts of the place you know now. That's it. Think of the future we could create."

Fine, if this were to be her approach, he would play along with it for the time being. But he would not weaken in his stance.

He was so focused on resisting, in fact, that he nearly dropped his wine when she took his free hand in hers, her touch singing out to his magic. It was such a shocking sensation, especially since his magic had always been a light presence to him, happy and freeing. Hers felt darker, not malevolent, but more like... twilight. Somber and mysterious.

Suddenly, Merlin felt her lips brush his ear. "Trust me," she murmured, and like she could read his mind she continued, "Let your darker side give in, Merlin, you know you can't fight it."

His eyes cracked open, and upon meeting her eyes he saw her sincerity, how truly she believed in her cause. Their faces were dangerously close, he could feel the heat from her skin on his.

Merlin leaned in even closer, and her eyes lit up, but he moved past her face. This time, it was his mouth next to her ear, his whispered breath gently rustling her hair.

"I will do everything in my power to stop this and return the rightful king to the throne, I swear to you."

Morgana pulled back violently, irritation clear on her face. "Truly?" she snapped. "You'll truly return Uther to the throne, where he will ceaselessly and mercilessly hunt down our kind until no one is left?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, not him. I speak of Arthur. I have faith that he will restore magic to this land in all its glory."

"We'll see about that."

"Of course, your Highness." Replacing his goblet on the table, he held out his wrists to her, ready to be rebound and taken back to the dungeons. "If you would?"

The anger was fading quickly from her face, replaced by a look of contemplation, as she reached for the rope. "Think about it. You alone can make this so much easier, save so many people. That's what you want."

"You know nothing of what I want."

She finished the last knot, and glanced up at him through her dark lashes. "Perhaps. But one way or another, you will belong to me by the end of this. Make no mistake." She trailed a finger down his jaw, then abruptly walked past him and called, "Guards!"

The two soldiers opened the heavy doors in unison, marching up to their queen and bowing.

"We are done for tonight. You may take the prisoner back to his quarters."

They bowed again, then moved to either side of Merlin and firmly grabbed his arms. The three men proceeded to march towards the door.

"Merlin." Her voice made him swivel his head to glance at her. "Think about it."

* * *

They disappeared around the corner, doors slamming shut behind them. The quiet of the room was heavy, too much for the fury that had been building underneath Morgana's resolute mask. With a shriek of frustration, she backhanded the wine glasses off the table. Metal clattered angrily against the stone tiles and the spilled wine slowly seeped out, forming a crimson pool in the middle of the floor.

With that, Morgana whirled on her heel and stalked back to the window, gazing out into the darkness.

She had meant what she'd said, her plan would take flight regardless of what had to be done to make it so. If she had to break him to make him see the sense of it, so be it.

But for the moment, she would silently watch her kingdom, and allow the quiet peacefulness of the night to take her far away.


End file.
